104,543Records 70,659Employers 84,666Hospitalizations 27,563Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-09-30
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14299648

OVERHEAD POWER LINE,ELECTRICAL,ELECTROCUTED,E GI IA,DRILL RIG--NON-OIL,LOAD LINE

Event
OVERHEAD POWER LINE,ELECTRICAL,ELECTROCUTED,E GI IA,DRILL RIG--NON-OIL,LOAD LINE
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14299648
Report ID
352440

Event description

ELECTRIC SHOCK - CONTACT WITH OVERHEAD LINE THRU LOAD LINE

Investigation abstract

Some employees were drilling a water well. The well was to be 36.6 meters (120 f the suspended drilling rod. This employee received an electric shock and suffere d cardiac arrest. The injured employee was transported to a local hospital, wher e he was pronounced dead about 1.5 hours later. The employer had not contacted t he electric utility to deenergize or insulate the power line. However, before th e crew set up the rig, the employer had advised the employees to maintain a 3-me ter (10-foot) clearance from the power line. eet) in depth. The employees were using a Failing 1500 Holemaster drilling rig. They had set up the rig 2 days earlier. The rig was only 1.5 meters (5 feet) fro m a 7600-volt overhead power line located 7.6 meters (25 feet) above the ground. The drilling rig mast was 12.8 meters (42 feet) tall. The employees had drilled to a depth of about 24.4 meters (80 feet) and were hoisting a 6.1-meter-long (2 0-foot-long) drilling rod to be placed on the drilling rod that was already in t he ground. As the employees were hoisting the drilling rod, the load line contac ted the power line. One of the employees was on the ground, handling one end of

Victim

  1. #1 Fatality Age 24 M

    Nature of injury
    10
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    13
    Source
    15
    Occupation code
    598
    Human factor
    10
    Environmental factor
    17
    Task assigned
    1

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